With every NBA team, there is a clear representation of who the stars and superstars are for those teams. There is also a clear representation of who the other guys are. The ones that do one or two things extremely well. These “glue guys” or players that fill a certain role, are what we call role players. These players earn significant minutes on the court by excelling at a certain aspect of the game on the court or doing multiple things very well. These role players are not quite All-Stars yet they are good enough to play a key role in team success.
One of the more comedic and nonsensical arguments circulating the NBA community these days is the one that these role players in 2023 would be All-Star players in the 1990s. Now, for 95% of today’s role players, this statement is vehemently false. As for the other 5%, there is a case to be made that they would make that narrative a factual statement and are potential All-Stars. Today’s role players are what someone would even call stars or superstars, but fall into the role player category by filling a certain role substantially or by simply being one of the third or fourth best options on his own team. These role players would have the best chance to transcend decades of the game of basketball.
These are the 10 current-day NBA players who would be All-Stars in the 1990s.
10. Harrison Barnes
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We start things off with an extremely hot take but hear us out before you deem it a bad one. Harrison Barnes has shown that in 2022-23, he can take an even bigger step back in the Kings’ rotation which has resulted in their first playoff berth in 17 years. Barnes has been a 15.0 PPG scorer in 2022-23 after averaging 16.0 PPG or better in 2021 and 2022.
His playstyle would be a hard one to stop in the 1990s. Let’s start with his defense. It has become underrated over the years but he has been a hard worker and an underrated asset on that side of the ball. On offense, Barnes is a good shooter from beyond the arc shooting over 37.0% from three-point range on over 4.0 attempts. He is impressive in isolation as well with the ability to create his own shot and get to the rim. His athleticism would be a boost in that era as well and I could see him becoming a 20.0 PPG player 30 years ago.
9. Jonas Valanciunas
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I know many are thinking that there is no way possible that Jonas Valanciunas can hang with the likes of Shaq, Hakeem, David Robinson, and others during the 1990s. Nobody is asking him to, either. But you would be out of your mind to assume that Valanciunas couldn’t earn at least one All-Star appearance in that era. Let’s take a look at Valanciunas’ numbers in 2022-23. He is averaging 14.3 PPG and 10.1 RPG this season on 55.3% shooting from the floor. Now, let’s take a look at some reserve big men from All-Star teams.
In 1995, Cavaliers big man Tyrone Hill earned an All-Star selection with 13.8 PPG and 10.2 RPG on 50.4% shooting from the floor. In 1994, Charles Oakley earned an All-Star selection in the East averaging 11.8 PPG and 11.8 RPG on 47.8% shooting as an injury replacement for Alonzo Mourning. It is more than likely with Valanciunas’ style and ability to spread the floor, he would be able to earn one or more All-Star appearances in the 1990s.
8. Jordan Poole
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As it stands right now, Jordan Poole remains a role player with the Golden State Warriors. He is on the more elite side of role players in the NBA due to the depth of the Warriors roster but he is still a role player nonetheless. This season, Poole has made 42 starts, mostly coming in a role of filling in for an injured Stephen Curry. Poole has averaged 20.4 PPG in 77 games played so far in the 2022-23 season and has added 4.5 APG on 43.0% shooting from the field.
When looking at the All-Stars of the 1990s, Poole certainly has a case to make more than one All-Star appearance. Poole’s 20.4 PPG would have had him as the 13th-highest scorer in 1993, tied with Joe Dumars, an All-Star that season. Poole’s shooting ability and range from behind the three-point line would have made him an All-Star in itself as well and his showmanship would be an extra touch. He may run into issues with physical guards like Jordan and Drexler but he would adapt quickly.
7. Kyle Kuzma
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Take everything you know or think you know about the difference in the physicality of the game today and the game in the 1990s. Take a look at the stretch forwards of that time, which were few and far between, and tell me Kyle Kuzma couldn’t make at least one All-Star appearance. In 2022-23, Kuzma is averaging a career-high 21.2 PPG and grabbing 7.2 RPG. He is shooting 44.8% from the field overall and 33.3% from three on over seven attempts.
When comparing him to the 1990s, Kuzma could easily make a case for All-Star-level play. Even as late as 1997, Kuzma’s 21.2 PPG would have ranked 12th-best in the NBA that season above such All-Stars as Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and Tim Duncan. His 7.2 RPG would have ranked right outside the Top 20 but impressive just the same. Kuzma could easily adapt to the mid-range game of the 90s as well as taking it to the rim. The only question would be finishing through much more contact allowed at the time.
6. Tyrese Maxey
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Now, we begin to take a deeper look at some of the guard play today and how it would translate to the 1990s. First, let me say that with hand-checking and other defensive rules adjusted, these players may not be who they are in 2022-23 so take their selections with a tiny grain of salt. Tyrese Maxey is a great selection for a possible All-Star nod in the 1990s, reminding me a bit of Nick Van Exel at his best. Van Exel was an All-Star in 1998 after averaging 13.8 PPG and 6.9 APG for the Lakers.
In 2023, Maxey is averaging over 20.0 PPG in 57 appearances and shooting the ball 42.7% from three. While his assists have dipped due to the presence of James Harden, Maexy is among one of the best third options in the NBA today. Maxey would have been one of the 14-highest scoring players in 1998, the same year Van Exel was an All-Star and shooting a higher percentage than stars like Reggie Miller and Ray Allen from three.
5. D’Angelo Russell
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The selection of D’Angelo Russell as an All-Star in the 1990s may be a stretch for some but not for the ones who have watched him over the last few months. Russell has been instrumental in turning the Lakers’ season around in 2023 as they push for a playoff spot late in the season. In 66 games this year, he is averaging 18.0 PPG and 6.2 APG and shooting 46.7% from the floor. Let’s see how his numbers add up to some of the guards in 1992.
Michael Adams was a reserve All-Star in 1992 averaging 18.1 PPG and 7.2 APG, numbers eerily similar to Russell’s in 2022-23. Reggie Lewis was averaging just over 20.0 PPG and over 3.5 APG, which is nearly half of the assists Russell is dishing out now. Before calling it a crazy take, the numbers suggest Russell would certainly be competing for All-Star spots during the earlier parts of the 1990s.
4. Rudy Gobert
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I know it may seem a bit disrespectful to call Rudy Gobert a role player right now with the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, from what I have watched this season, Rudy Gobert is there to fill the role of interior defender and rebounder for a team lacking physicality on the interior. Gobert has filled that role quite nicely grabbing 11.7 RPG and blocking 1.7 shots per game. He has even added 13.7 PPG which is down from his previous season with the Utah Jazz.
I seem to remember quite a few defensive-minded big men in the 1990s that were All-Stars all the time. Dikembe Mutombo was never known for being an offensive threat for the most part. However, his four Defensive Player of the Year awards and his three blocks titles were more than enough to make him an All-Star. The same goes for guys like Ben Wallace, who dominated games just by being present in the paint. Rudy Gobert could be the same type of player and an All-Star for any team in the 1990s.
3. Marcus Smart
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Next up on our list of today’s role players that could make some noise in the 1990s is Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics. Smart plays the role well of a defensive pest who occasionally lets it fly from beyond the arc. Smart is a versatile defender who can make life tough for bigger players just as he can with players similar to himself. Smart is an 11.0 PPG to 12.0 PPG scorer who averages over 6.0 APG in 2022-23 and is a key piece for a team with Finals aspirations.
Many fans and media pundits have compared Smart to Gary Payton simply because of their Defensive Player of the Year wins as the only two point guards to ever do so. Now, Payton was a perennial All-Star because of his 19.0 PPG and 7.0 APG for a decade straight. Smart is not the offensive player that Payton was, but there is definitely a chance for him to make a run at an All-Star selection or two.
2. Draymond Green
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When one thinks about the elite of the elite role players in NBA history, Draymond Green is that player. He provides elite play in multiple facets of the game that would be deemed All-Star worthy in the 90s, just as it is today. Green’s versatile defense and ability to guard all five positions on the court would make him a priceless asset during the 1990s. He would fit the role well with his swagger and attitude on top of it.
Green would be seen as a Dennis Rodman-type player with a little more to offer offensively. Being able to run an offense, Green would offer up a playstyle not many power forwards in the 90s could offer, and a free-flowing offense would be the result. As a playmaker, leader, and defender, Green would find certain All-Star success in the NBA during the 1990s.
1. Russell Westbrook
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Referring to Russell Westbrook as a role player in 2023 feels downright wrong and disrespectful. Westbrook has been one of the best point guards in NBA history during his NBA career and is as versatile as any point guard we have ever seen. His game is already predicated on his athleticism, explosiveness, and finishing ability at the rim which would make him a perfect fit for an era in which guards thrived with that playstyle.
Westbrook’s speed and the pace at which he plays would be another part of his game that fits in perfectly in the 90s. In 2022-23, Westbrook has finally been freed from the shackles that were the Los Angeles Lakers and being unable to run the offense himself. In 16 starts with the Clippers, he is averaging 15.3 PPG and 7.5 APG and looks much more comfortable in his current situation. If Westbrook landed on a team where he could run, there is no doubt he would be an All-Star and even an MVP-level player.
Source: fadeawayworld
